


War Bred

by Angel_made_of_scars



Category: Supernatural
Genre: M/M, Multi, Panic Attack, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Purgatory, could be nothing, could be wincestiel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-17
Updated: 2016-02-17
Packaged: 2018-05-21 05:15:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6039640
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angel_made_of_scars/pseuds/Angel_made_of_scars
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if Cas and Dean came back from purgatory together? So what if they were both a little damaged?</p>
            </blockquote>





	War Bred

The first thing Deans brain registered was that the soft sounds of distress were not his own or Benny's. Fuck, they got Cas.

How could he be so careless?! They were too slow, he had stopped to rest his ankle too long. How did they find him though?

"Cas? Where are you?" Dean whispered urgently. He stumbled urgently, knife in hand.

"Dean-" Cas choked out. Dean moved forward in the dark, finding him crouched in front of something, a rock or a log, huddled down. As his eyes adjusted, he saw the sweat on his brow and the way his body was locked tight in fear.

"You hurt?" Dean asked. Cas whimpered.

"Where's Benny? What happened?!" Dean asked, rushed because fuck, Cas wasn't answering and something was wrong.

"I'll protect you, I got you." Dean said quietly.

He turned his back to Cas and crowded against him, shielding him. He held his knife at the ready, legs poised to run or jump, the way he was crouched down. Cas put his hand on Deans waist. It was shaking. The guy must be really spooked. There was something nasty here.

Just like that the panic spread, and Dean felt his airways closing up. Something here had scared an angel senseless. Dean felt his breathing pick up.

"Fuck- fuck, Cas, what'd you see? I can't- shit." Dean swore. He was starting to lose control. Cas let out a long, high pitched whine and his grip on Dean tightened.

Dean took a deep breath and focused again. He had to protect Cas, and Benny if he wasn't already dead.

"Where is it?" Dean asked. Cas pointed. There was a figure in the dark, watching them, unmoving. Dean gave one movement of his head, all motion ceasing to hone in on the enemy.

"What is it? I can't tell-" Dean stopped. He looked at his hand.

Where... This wasn't his blade. This was a regular knife. A knife.

From under his pillow.

There was a wall. They were huddled again a wall. And a drawer.

The figure moved just a little. A light switched on.

Deans arm pushed Cas further behind him, and he growled, deep and animalistic.

This had to be a djinn. No doubt. They were more rare here, but it wasn't unheard of. They learned to affect the environment or even send two people into the same dream. He and Benny got stuck once.

Cas whimpered, and Dean shushed him.

"Don't move." Dean whispered.

And then Dean recognized him.

"Dean?" Sam said quietly. Hah, "Sam".

Dean growled again, and snapped his jaws like a dog. Some of the monsters were so far gone, that's all they really were; animals. Showing dominance helped.

"Dean, it's me. You need to snap out of it." Sam said quietly. And shit, why did Deans knees feel so weak all of a sudden?

"Dean, come back. You're home. Remember? You got out Dean." Sam said quietly.

Dean felt himself wobble in his crouched position. He fell backwards on his ass like a toddler, but he didn't care. The portal. The exit. They got out. His pillow. The wall. The dresser. Sam.

They got out.

They were out.

Sam.

Cas.

Deans breath left his chest when he turned around. Cas' face was streaked with tears, and he was looking at Sam like he was the scariest thing he'd ever seen. His hands shook and his breathing was erratic, and Dean felt himself starting to mirror him.

"Cas. Cas." Dean repeated. He slumped back against him and wrapped an arm around him.

"Cas, you're back. Deans back. You're both ok. You got out, you're ok." Sam said quietly. He lowered himself to his knees so he wasn't so tall. Cas looked between Sam and Dean a few times before it clicked for him as well. He grabbed at Deans shirt and cried.

"Sam... Sam." Dean said, his voice strained. He couldn't seem to form any words.

Sam moved slowly, coming closer every minute that passed. Finally he was close enough and reached out a hand. Dean handed him the knife.

Sam threw the weapon across the room and reached out his hand again. Dean took it slowly.

"Dean, take a deep breath. You're safe." Sam said in a whisper. Dean did as he said. Shit, Cas.

"Cas, s'ok. Out." Dean managed. He dropped Sams hand to wrap both arms around Cas' shaking form. Talking suddenly seemed very difficult.

"Dean, can I help-" Sam asked, but Dean cut him off with a glare and a noise in the back of his throat. His vision blurred.

"Dean, you need to relax. You're safe. We're in a hotel. Come on, please. Stop crying." Sam said. Huh. He was crying.

"Cas, got you. We're safe. We're... Back Cas." Dean said quietly, concentrating on his words.

Cas shuddered as he took a deep breath, then choked and coughed. Dean held him tighter, but his eyes never left Sam.

"Dean, come on. You're crying. Take a deep breath like Cas did, come on." Sam said. Dean followed his instructions, even as his nose clogged up.

Fuck, he was actually crying.

"Cas... Cas... Casti.. Castiel. Sam. Sam, help? Please? I... Can't." Dean slurred, trying to find the words.

"Dean..." Cas whimpered.

"What do you need Dean? It's ok, take your time." Sam asked.

"Blanket." Dean said quietly. Sam reached behind him and grabbed to blanket off his bed. He handed it to Dean, and he pulled it up around Cas and himself.

"Water. Cas needs water." Dean said. Sam nodded and backed up, hesitating before standing.

"M' back." Dean said, nodding, then wiping his face to clear the tears. Sam ducked his head and stood up, then went to the cooler. He pulled out a bottle of water, and went back, sitting on the floor near them and handing it to Dean.

"Cas, gotta drink. Cause we're back." Dean said. He opened the bottle and held it to Cas' mouth. The whimpers stopped as he drank.

As he took it away from his mouth, his eyes cleared a little. Not enough, but it was a start.

"Sam. Dean." Cas said quietly.

"It's us, Cas. Try to take a deep breath. You're ok." Sam said. Still, he looked to Dean for confirmation.

"Safe." Dean said quietly.

Cas took a deep breath and blew it out. He flexed his fingers where they had been in fists and took another sip of water. He reached over and gripped Deans shirt. Deans arm on his shoulder tightened, even as he sniffled.

"Dean, more breathing. Come on, do it again. Cas, you too." Sam said. He sighed as they both followed his instructions. Cas was still shaking, Dean was still crying. They still were holding on to each other.

It was a start.

* * *

After extensive breathing exercises, Sam got them calm enough to be moved.

"I'm sorry. I don't... Remember why. I didn't mean to." Cas said sleepily.

"It's ok." Sam said quickly.

"I was scared... I just started to... Forget." Cas said quietly.

"Nightmare. S'ok." Dean said.

"Now that you're both ok, why don't you try to sleep again? Maybe together this time." Sam suggested. Dean didn't have the mind to argue.

Sam stood first and pulled Dean up, then wrapped his arms around him as he went limp. This has happened enough times that Sam expected it. Dean never did well after his episodes.

Cas was the opposite. As soon as Dean was sitting on the bed, Cas nearly jumped into his arms and hugged him. He ruffled his fingers through Cas' hair as he helped him back into his bed.

Sam lifted the covers and they both slid under. Dean wrapped himself around Cas like an octopus, and Cas buried his face in Deans shirt. Sam smiled.

"Want me to lay down with you guys?" Sam asked.

"It's ok. Right now... Maybe... If we need, later?" Dean said, question in his tone. Sam nodded. He understood. They needed time right now, they had been together, alone, too long for it to feel right again instantly.

"Of course. You uh, you want to leave the lamp on?" Sam asked. They both nodded.

"Ok, here we go, lights out." Sam said. He walked to the wall and flipped the switch. In just the lamp light, he saw Dean stiffen and his grip around Cas tighten.

"You alright?" He asked.

"I'm... Ok. I think. I'm ok." Cas said.

"Dean?"

"I'm ok. Want my knife. But I'm ok." Dean said.

"Want to hold something else? There's the tv remote." Sam suggested. Dean nodded.

"Ok, hang on." Sam said. He went to the side table and picked up the remote, then maneuvered it under Deans pillow. His hand tightened around it.

"Good. I'm good." Dean said. Sam sighed.

"Ok. You wake me up if anything happens." Sam said. He walked back to his own bed and laid down, getting comfortable.

They wouldn't wake him up. They never knew where they were, much less that he was there. Still, even if they had both snapped, they were back.

It was a start.

**Author's Note:**

> Sort of based off of "pheonixburncold"s story 'Panic'. You should read theirs first. I hope they don't mind I used the idea...


End file.
